Tough Lover
by strangelove9
Summary: She was an aspiring Suicide Girl/burlesque dancer and he, well Travis Maddox's brother Trenton, a tattoo artist. Two free spirits who collide in a little town can be a little too much for it.
1. Chapter 1: Mae

**I don't own the story or the original characters in it, only Mae. Jamie McGuire rocked them first.**

There's nothing extraordinary about me. Yes, I'm rather pretty because I'm tall, curvacious with pale skin and orange fiery hair, with tatts all over my body. My ultimate goal is to become a model/Suicide Girl, Dita-von-Teese-style showgirl, but I come from a little town in the depths of Texas, where my family was the typical all American family, with a perfect house, perfect jobs and all that... Let's say that I'm the black sheep and I never regret it.

I came all the way to another gray part of the States looking for my dream. Why, you may ask? Because I had to get a degree before finally being free to pursuit it. I chose Dramatic Arts, my mom wanted me to have a formal education and I couldn't say no, at least she was trying to help me, unlike the rest of my family.

When I arrived to campus and got settled, a little Tattoo Shop caught my eye. Perfect! I said to myself, I wanted to get a sugar skull with butterflies and roses on my thigh before I was due to start school. I was dressed like a hipster punk, you know, with baggy jeans and big glasses though I'm rather shy around strangers, even when stage is my real home.

I opened the door and I liked what I saw: a nice, clean place with a few chairs and a big display of previous works made by the artists that work there, but a special one caught my eye: a big monarch butterfly tattooed with delicacy, like it was hand-painted with a brush, and I found myself saying: -I want to be tattooed by the guy who made this!

-Here I am, doll- A tall figure on the back of the place said it, with a husky playful voice, was ten times the guy I'll make a private show for. Tall, well built, with his arms and torso inked and dark haired.

-Oh, hi- I said, nervously, opening my bag to show him my artwork-I'm here to get this on my left thigh

-Sure, doll, but aren't you too young to get a tatt? Should I call your parents?- he smirked mockingly  
I was starting to get seriously irritated:-I'm old enough to know what I'm doing. Are you?

-The kitty's got claws!-he laughed- Well, doll, come here and have a sit. Feel free to cry or scream.-he said, leading me to his working booth, in which he had an Ipod dock, a black chaise and dozens of artistic posters on the walls- Want some music?

-Yes, please, that would be great. Have you got jazz?

-WTF doll, seriously?- he jerked, containing a laugh- No, but check it out and play whatever you like. I'm gonna prepare my stuff

I searched his Ipod, and found one of my favorite bands, Nine Inch Nails, and the sound of Piggy filled the space

-You've a good taste, doll. By the way, what's your name?

-Mae O'Hara. Yours?

-Trent.

-Like NIN's frontman?

-Yes. I like his band.

-He's the band

-Of course, but he can't play all the instruments by himself, don't you think?

I shrugged, he was right, but I never wanted to admit it.

-So, I need you to take off your jeans. I can't work properly if you still have 'em on- he said

-Yeah, right, sure- I said, struggling to remove them. Thank god I was wearing boyshorts underneath

-What do you do?- he asked, dipping his needle into the ink

-I'm going to major in Dramatic Arts

-For what? Trying to get in Hollywood and stuff?

-No. I want to have my own burlesque show.

-Are you a stripper?

-It's artistic, dumbass! I'm not trying to have a thong full of bills in order to pay my tuition

-I would try to have your thong, doll, even though I've to pay you for it

I shot him a deadly glance and he was just there, giggling, too concentrate to look at me. I shut my mouth for the next hours, just humming the songs I knew well, like Closer, which I was dying to dance in an act.  
When everything ended, I had to admit that the guy was really good at his job: the skull was delicate, with roses as eyes and dozens of butterflies here and there.

-Thank you- I said, mesmerized by the beauty of the composition.

-'r Welcome, doll. By the way, here's my number, if you want to repay it properly.

-Yeah, right.- I crumbled the paper, tossed it and went to pay my new work of art. His face was priceless.

**HI! Please review for me to know if I suck or I rock!**

**BTW, this is Mae's outfit for the session (put polyvore_dot_com/) maes_tattoing_session/ set?id= 88429105**


	2. Chapter 2: Red Code

**I don't own the original story blah, blah, blah. Belongs to Miss Jamie McGuire**

I got a beautiful duplex 10 minutes outside the campus, thanks to my mom, but it felt quite big and lonely, since I'm the sandwich sister of 4 more siblings, our house was full of screaming, babbling and laughter; and that's why I decided to put an announcement to get a roommate on the college newspaper, and then I decided to explore my new hometown for the next 4 years.

I stopped right at the tiny bar , few hours later, called Red to get a few beers, because I was young and carefree and needed fun. When I was sitting at the bar, I heard HIS voice, telling the waitress, a nice, little bit older girl named Cami, something about his dad. I hastily paid my drinks and stormed off, when a couple of jocks of Sigma Tau stopped me right on the tracks

-Hi gorgeous-said the blond one- wanna join us?  
-No thanks, got better things to do  
-Like what? Watching My Little Pony all by yourself? Come on, we're fun- said the brunette

They were a little drunk, for the smell of liquor all over their clothes, so when I pushed the blond jock out of my way, the brunnete caught me by the elbows, and, when I thought everything was lost, I felt the release and watched Trent punching the blond on the nose and grabbing the collar of the brunnete's jacket: -Anything wrong with the lady over here?

-No, no, nothing. Just wanted to buy her a beer  
-I believed she said no  
-Yes, but I wanted to be friendly  
-Manhandling her, do you think that's friendly? Appropriate even?  
-No, no, sorry  
-Apologize to her

They mumbled a few apologies, and then Trent let them go.  
-What are you doing here, doll?  
-Having fun. Please stop calling me like that.  
-Is it funny that they wanted to have their way with you?  
-No, but...  
-Next time, try to come accompanied. I gave you my number, but you tossed it like a prostitute card  
-I, well...  
-Well what?  
-Mind your own business! I'm not your girl, or your friend, or anything! Get lost!

I stomped to get outside the bar, leaving him puzzled and annoyed. I'm not a toddler and I don't need to be protected by anyone.

When I got home, I got bathed, ate a tuna sandwich and went to I woke up, few voice messages were in my cellphone inbox, and I decided to invest the day calling back and arranging meetings. My favorite one was a girl called America, who seemed decent and responsible, so I gave her the benefit of the doubt and made her my new tenant. She had a boyfriend, guy named Shep, who  
really seemed in love with her; so I decided to throw a little house-warming party to celebrate the ending of summer and the beginning of a new year.

**Sorry for the short chapter! The next one is gonna be a Trent's POV and the party! Remember to review.**

**Of course, here's Mae's bar look (put polyvore_dot_com/) / mae_at_bar/ set?id=88436051**


	3. Chapter 3: Warming up the house

**I don't own the story, It's Jamie McGuire's... you know the rest ;)**

Mare and I were taking it easy about the party planning because I just got settled and she had to give the news to her BF and her best friend, a girl about my age who was already married (I broke a few dishes when I heard that), which name's Abby. I met her when she came to help Mare with the moving, alongside Shep and Abby's husband, Travis. I had to say that he looked rather familiar to me, but I really couldn't say why... We sat in the living room that Saturday's evening, eating chinese takeaway, discussing about the party, and declared that this time, next week, we were going to have a glorious party in order to make this year memorable.

I trusted my dream to the girls and they encouraged me to make a little performance on the party, partly to gain attention and frankly, they wanted me to show off my skills to the rest of our mates. So, it was settled: the guys were gonna provide music and booze and the girls were in charge of decorate the house, the food and arranging the invitations for everybody.

_**TRENTON'S POV**_

I was talking at the phone with the dumbass of my brother Trav, when I heard her sultry voice asking for the guy who made the infamous butterfly dipshit tatt. Halfway to the counter, her sweet smell penetrated my nostrils and, when I finally saw her: pale, redhaired and dressed like a boy, my dick started to twist itself, longing for her touch. Her eyes were big and dark green against her nerd glasses, her skin was screaming for me to touch it and her clothing, well, it didn't do justice to her  
curves. She was like a pin-up: well built and rounded like a pear, which made my mouth go dry.

I led her to my booth and when she removed her jeans, I was praying God that she had an unfeminine underwear, because otherwise, I couldn't answer for the consequences. She had some sort of tight shorts that were just enough to keep me quiet and when I started to work on her, she told me that my name sounded like that singer from NIN. I can't say that I didn't appreciate the comparison because the guy was succesful and had a hot wife, the things I wanted myself to have, but I'd to open my big, shitty mouth to tell her that I'd pay to have her naked in front of me, because she said she was kind of a nude artist. I swore she wanted me to drop dead at that time, but I forbid myself to keep looking at her while I worked. I had to say that the girl was brave: I could count briefly 2 tatts, but I wondered how many she had and if I'd be able to see them in full glory one day.

When I finished, and she looked my work like some kind of proud mama cheering his son for something, I had to open my big mouth to offer her my phone, which she refused like if I was some kind of disgusting gigolo. It drove me mad and I liked that, the other girls begged me to have my number, so they could bother me when they were horny, but this doll was exactly the opposite.

Next time I saw her, twice in the week, was on friday (we had our session on wednesday), at Red. She was leaning over the bar, drinking a beer, all by herself, with my work displayed proudly on her thigh. I was talking to Cami about Dad, who was having a bad time becoming an old man, and when I looked up, she disappeared. I got up to say hi to her, when I encountered that two pieces of shit annoying the kitty,who tried to get 'em out of her way. I got really pissed when they tried to seize her, so I  
kicked their asses, in order to earn her trust and she kept behaving in that superior way, telling me to fuck off her life, because she was big enough to take care of herself, which left me even more mad at her and determined to, at least, win a place  
in her world.

Trav told me about some house-whatever-the-fuck-warming some girlfriends of my sister Abby were doing, I was reluctant at first, but the perspective of free booze and hot chicks to pass the weekend seemed like a good plan to me, though I didn't knew that I was dragging myself inside the wolf's mouth.

_**MAE'S POV**_

The night of the party finally arrived, and I was ecstatic and nervous at the same time, because I'm not that good around people even though I grew up in a big family. Abby, Mare and I did girl stuff that day: we did our nails, hair and makeup, helped each other to choose outfits (Abby was glorious in a green dress, Mare had skinny jeans and a sexy lace top and I wore my fave combat boots with an edgy but feminine look), arranged plates and plates of food all over the place and put flowers in every corner.

When the people started to arrive, we relaxed a little as we saw that everyone appeared to have fun. Some were dancing, another group was drinking noisily and others were just talking and laughing. Mare nudged me and whispered: -You have ten minutes to get ready, M. You're about to go on!

-All right, then- I muttered, and flew upstairs. I started to change my clothes, put on a black vintage trench coat, changed my lipstick and adjusted my mask over my carefully styled wavy hair. It was showtime for me.

**I give you Mae's party outfit (polyvore_dot_com) / maes_housewarming/ set?id=88440507**

**and Mare's and Abby's (polyvore_dot_com) / mare_abbys_outfits/ set?id=88546461**


	4. Chapter 4: Heated Place

The chair at the center of the improvised stage was waiting for me. I was going to sing and dance a pretty catchy song called Tough Lover (remember the movie Burlesque? First song that Ali actually sang with public? That one). I went downstairs, gave the signal to Mare and suddenly, everything became dark as I made my way towards the stage. I assumed my beggining position, the song started and the lights went on, pointing at me.

**Trenton's POV**

I arrived late to the party and I thought that it was finished because the lights were down, so I decided to find my brother and sister when suddenly everything was illuminated towards the stage and I saw her: one knee over the chair, hand on a mic, singing. She was wearing a mask and a coat but I still could recognize her, she looked like a gothic Jessica Rabbit, all black and lace.  
When she slid to sit open legged, I was boiling inside, how can anyone be so classy and whorical at the same time? I grabbed a beer and poured it on my system in one swift mode to calm down. When she opened playfully her coat, revealing what was inside, my heart almost stopped: she was wearing a black corset with lacy panties. She stood up, wandered around the chair and came right towards the public, which was already clapping and cheering her. I only wanted to grab her, tie her to a bedpost and give her something to sing for, all night long.

When the song finished, Abby and her friend Mare took each one of Mae's arms and raised them above, for the crowd to cheer her properly, 'cause she was really really good. Mae's took off her mask and revealed her face and thanked everybody for coming, like a perfect housekeeper. Then, they resumed the party and she flew upstairs. Trav saw me and said: -Hey dumbass! you almost lose the show!

-I know, shitface. But I'm here and I saw everything. Who's that girl?  
-Mare's roommate and the apartment's owner. Gonna tell Pidge you're here.  
-OK. Get me a beer.  
-Get it yourself, fucker!

**Mae's POV**

Back in my room, I was feeling simply radiant (and my feet were aching, but nevermind)... The show was rad! Even if it wasn't a proper burlesque act everybody enjoyed it! I changed back in my party clothes and went downstairs, I was dry and needed booze to wash me down.

A bunch of girls came up to where I was, congratulating me and asking if I could teach the some tricks. Nobody ever asked me that before, so timidly said that I'd think about it, and just like the wind, Mare grabbed my elbow and took me down the hall, because she was going to introduce me to some people, where Abby was standing, talking to Trav and, and... HIM! They were a bunch of traitors, but I decided to have a little fun:

-Hey, guys! This is Mae's my roommate- said Mare, cheerfully  
-Hey! Enjoying yourselves? - I asked  
-Pretty much, doll - Trent replied  
-Sorry, do I know you? - I said, the most innocent way I could manage  
-Ehm, yeah! I did that skull on your thigh  
-Right! Now I remember! You wanted to have one of my thongs, right?

He seemed defiant. Mare's smile was beaming. Abby was laughing.

-Not just one of 'em, kitty, but you're gonna have to beg me for that  
-We have a confident man here, people. Confident and delusional, cause it's not gonna happen  
-Yeah. Keep lying to yourself.

When I was about to retort, Abby cut me asking if I wanted something to drink and she and her husband carried him away to the other side of the room. I wanted him to beg, because he seemed the type of guy girls cannot resist to open their legs for and I wouldn't be one of them. When everybody left, the 6 of us ate and drank the remmanents on my couch until the sun appeared in the sky.  
The boys offered me help doing the cleaning whilst the girls and I went out to buy stuff to make a decent meal. While we were on the supermarket, I could catch this pearls:

-So, I think one of my boys has a fixation for you, Miss Rabbit- Abby said casually  
-Who? The jocks?- I asked, innocently  
-Not only them. Like the straight-not-madly-in-love men population in the party- Mare laughed  
-I think we're gonna have a new couple around soon- Abby sang

I shot her a dirty look: -Better not, thanks. I need to get my diploma a get the hell outta here.

-And losing all the fun for 4 years? Are you mad?  
-At least, she's not delusional- said Mare, and we all started to laugh like psychos


End file.
